Scientists Tackle Authenticity of 19th Century Stick

Content Originally Posted by Sports Collectors' Daily on February 25th, 2009.

A sports collector visiting in-laws in a small Nova Scotia town learned about an old, curved stick hanging on the wall of the local barber shop. For eight years Mark Presley kept tabs on it.

Then the barber decided to retire and Presley made his offer. Now he owns the piece and he's serious enough that he's enlisted the help of some scientists. They're hoping to test its age to see if it could be a surviving relic from the earliest known form of hockey.

World's oldest hockey stick, anyone?

While other contenders have recently been offered for sale on eBay, the object owned by the youth worker from eastern Canada does have some things going for it...even if it's not from the exact game played in NHL arenas today.

The scientists told CanWest News Service they'll be thorough.